Thank you The2ndQuest. You have spoken wisdom. The Articles upon articles I've read about Nintendo's peril do not reflect the revenue they have made from past successes. How can an entire company fail over one product? Although I do know the 3DS has not reached sales that Nintendo was hoping for. However, it is difficult in these times to determine what is the truth, when companies write rumors and fear to try and destabilize their competition. As for Microsoft, I do not think they are suffering either. They just do not have their major titles available (Halo, COD, and GOW). I do agree that Microsoft is moving away from just gamining, which I think is a mistake. At least you can say with confidence that Nintendo is sticking to gaming. They could use the slogan, "Nintendo, just games." Like how Nike had, "Nike, just sports."

Nintendo's problem has been that they've allowed both the 3DS and Wii U to have very slow starts. Neither had big launch titles, and neither had any big releases in their first 6 to 12 months. The games are starting to come (I think Smash Bros will sell more consoles than the rest of the Wii U's lineup combined) but at this point they'll probably just be catching up on lost ground.

You make a good point Dranconarius. If you do not have great games at launch, you will only get die hard fans to buy the systems. If you have great games at launch you can entice moderate and casual gamers to buy.

The Wii U had troubles but that mostly related to delayed 1st party titles (Pikmin 3), delayed 3rd party titles that lost exclusivity (Rayman) and promising 3rd party titles that ended up sucking so much they were cancelled (Colonial Marines's must-have version would have been the Wii U port if the game had been any good), which opened up a huge gap in the release schedule of several months, which slowed sales and discouraged further 3rd party development which meant fewer titles announced which fed into the sales cycle until last fall.

So it wasn't so much the planning as how it was ultimately executed for that system. The 3DS was all planning shortcomings (Kid Icarus being the only significant launch delay)

3DS took a huge hit when it was discovered that 3D harms children's eyes 6yrs and below. That is a major audience and the announcement that you can flip a switch to turn your 3DS into a 2D handheld was not advertised very well. Hence why I think Nintendo went ahead and made the 2DS.

Back to Mario Kart 8. I really want to try the new Haunted Mansion level.

As to the wii u, yeah, it was pretty much the fact that it launched with nothing, and gamer stigma that Nintendo is a "kiddie" console.

It doesn't hurt that so many younger gamers hang on to every word that game "journalists" write, and if it's not a 9/10 or above, the game is trash. Zombie U was a perfectly fine mature title. New Super Mario Bros U was a great launch title too. But man, the way people reacted you'd think they burned down gamers villages and raped their dogs with their terrible quality. -rolls eyes-

Heck, even the ps4/X1 line up suffered from the same thing, and the whole "next gen got no games" crap is annoying to no end.

Wii U launched with a decent line up but with the delays for the titles to follow had left an impression that there is no games on the system when there was quite a few options. If I had the time I can dig up a full list it had launched with.

In hindsight, maybe they should have staggered the launch line up releases a bit so that it gives the impression of something new. In the first 4 months of the console, I already had 9 games for it. At the moment I am sitting on 14 disc games, 2 downloaded/disc titles and various eShop/VC titles and most I've beaten but not enough time at the moment to play them all.

There's that confusion with some of the media/journalists that repeat each other. They've been saying doom and gloom for almost every generation and things have a way of correcting themselves. PS3/X360 did not have a strong launch. Come to think of it, during the same launch period the Wii U outsold what PS3/X360 combined during their launch period. True our climate now is much different from there. Talk of Nintendo going third party? Tell them they're dreamin'!

Anyhow, back to Mario Kart. Got the Collector's Edition with the Blue Shell and it is larger than I had thought it would be. Feels like it is made from two different materials, the top shell part is harder while the underside could be vinyl. Not sure. Looking good on its stand next to Yoshi, Link and Ratonhn'haké:ton.

I used the Gamepad to play while rest of the family used the Wii Pro Classic Controller. Feels good. I love the design of the levels and the remastered Retro levels. Toad's Turnpike, Yoshi's Valley and N64 Rainbow Road!! That Sweet Sweet Canyon made me think of Sugar Rush. I love all the details that they had put into the courses. Even tyre marks on the road from power sliding that lasts there the entire course!

I've tried online too. 2 player (on my end) vs 2 player (on friend's end) and that was a lot of fun. When selecting teams, it is randomly assigned and the first set of rounds had all three on one team while I was on the other… I still won… as Yoshi and probably fuelled my friend's hatred for that character even further because of it

And, yeah, ZombiU got treated very unfairly by reviewers- too many only played for a short period of time in the game where you're mostly using the cricket bat as your main weapon- and that admittedly kinda sucks, but once you get past that part and go deeper into the game and get more weapon options, the horror survival element really starts to shine through.

But those reviewers were expecting a shoot 'em up Left for Dead action game, not a survival horror game centered around atmosphere and NOT killing every zombie you encounter. The ones that stuck with it or were expecting the right kind of game gave it high reviews- but all those idiots who were reviewing a different game gave it lower reviews, which hurt it's metacritic rating a lot.

I think, being the most mature launch title, it just got more attention and savaging from the "Ha Nintendo is for kids, not hardcore!" whiners. The same ones that complain why Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive (the answer: because it wouldn't have been made otherwise) or why good games they wanted to buy were coming out for a system they didn't want to own (to which one can only go "Uh, then go buy the games you don't want to own on the system that you do").

And that just irritates me- if only because a 4 or 5 player King of Zombies mode in a ZombiU2 would have been absolutely amazing.And because of underperforming sales we're not going to get one now.

Anyways back to MK8, I too was left jaw agape by the level of detail on some returning levels- particularly the one desert level with the temple and the rock detail of Grumble Volcano. And, yeah, it's funny that after Wreck-It-Ralph creates a MK clone that we get a WIR-style candy level.

I've also been very impressed with how Nintendo has balanced the online track selection process by restricting players to choosing from only 3 varying tracks plus the random option. It solves my number one annoyance with MKWii's online mode: that online players repeatedly would choose the mall, rainbow road or the one DK level multiple times within a series of races. You rarely got any variety unless you lucked out with a random- there were other tracks, people!

Here? The odd are high that the tracks selected will be different several times in a row- and the option for random still makes it possible to get something other than the 3 choices provided (I think of it as more like an "Other" option). It's made online races soooo much more fun.

Really, the balancing of all facets of the game (online track selection, weapon capabilities/behaviors, Lakitu timing, track designs, etc) in this version have all been outstanding and just might be the most impressive, non-obvious feature of the game.

I had thought ZombiU did well overall but wasn't going to meet expectations given that it had the budget of two games (was originally Killer Freaks From Outer Space and then changed into ZombiU) and the Red Steel comparison. I agree that a follow up would be amazing! I wonder what Retro is working on next…

Great news on the sales. Lets hope the momentum carries on when the next set of titles come out.

I have to say both Rainbow Roads are in MK8 feel great. A shame they had cut up the N64 one so that 3 laps is the entire course. Makes sense though as that is a long map on the original. I also miss the trophy ceremony that we used to get. Also keep in mind to go through each character to unlock more stamps.

Yeah, both Rainbow Roads look great, although I think I like the N64 version better- a classic updated in HD looks great, and I like the fireworks in the background. Too bad I'm too busy speeding around (or more likely being knocked off the track by other racers, as I'm not that good and usually prefer lighter racers) to watch the fireworks longer. 8's Rainbow Road with its space station theme and all the Toads in spacesuits look fun too.

Great to hear its already sold so many copies, this really is one of the best Mario Karts ever.

I've never raced a track where you are guaranteed to get hit by an item just before or immediately during a ramp jump an average of 3 times per race, minimum- especially by computer players. It's ridiculous!

Yeah, really seem like they've cut down on the blue shells. Tried a 150cc race, and whereas before sometimes the game timed blue shells to show up only when the player is in the lead, sometimes with two or three showing up, haven't seen that many, even when I was in the lead. The red and green shells though are perhaps even more annoying now.

Well, partially its the coin mechanic too. Before, even in first place you usually got a banana peel or three at worst, which were still useful for blocking shells (except for when shells occasionally hit you from the side, since green shells, even when just bouncing around a track, hit the player, or maybe its just my bad luck). now, more often then not I get some useless coins (especially when I'm already at my max), so I'm open to red shell attacks. Doesn't help that the piranha plant can't really be defended against either.

Not sure if this is the first Mario Kart like this, but its annoying that the "next race" button isn't the first choice after reach race, instead its "view highlights", but oh well, guess they're really pushing that feature and its just a minor inconvenience, just wish it was simpler to just button mash to the next race.

Actually, I think that's the exact reason why it isn't the default option- it'd be far to easy for people to mistakenly skip to the next race instead of watching the highlight that they wanted to.

I do like the sense of exposure being in the lead is given now and how you feel vulnerable to red and green shells- it literally evokes the SNES original. But I do like how they balanced that out by reducing the red shell's homing capabilities (it;s much easier to lose them now). However green shells have become way too effective now. I swear Nintendo has been spending the last 5 years honing the exact bouncing angle and track layout physics to maximize the chances that they hit someone (often it means your own shot will end up bouncing back at you, at the very least).

I think the Year of Luigi is over with already, I think it ended back in March. Otherwise, no idea why that video has gone viral.

That's why I never fire green shells unless I'm really desperate. Having green shells bouncing around seemingly randomly is one of the worst situations since somehow I end up getting hit by one or two of them. Especially bad in 150cc too. At least red shells are predictable, green shells usually end up hurting me more than anything else. Hm, speaking of green shells, not sure I've seen three green shells, or it might just be me. Three red shells, definitely, but stuff like the piranha plant and Super 8 comes up semi-often too. Super 8 is especially tough to use, since the good stuff is just as likely to be stolen as used, but that just adds to the fun chaos.

I got three green shells on Mario Kart 8 Demo. So I can testify they exist. Unless, of course the Demo Version has what the actual game does not. This is conceivable, because demos do tend to have experimental elements. But I believe the demo I played, was just MK8 with limitations so as to tease a prospective buyer with enough to get them to buy it, but leave out enough to ensure a purchase.

There are definitely triple green shells- catch the second video I posted for an instance where I got hit by 2/3 and then by a third that initially missed me from elsewhere.

Year of Luigi did end already- though a lot of Death Stare gifs add a "Year of Luigi end when I say it ends" captions.

As for why yes going viral- it has nothing to do with Nintendo or YOL, it's just gifs and video clips on gaming sites and Reddit that made it explode and catch into mainstream news (otherwise there's no way it would have happened so quickly).

Personally, I now consider this the unofficial end of the Year if Luigi because, let's face it, they're not going to be able top top this so might as well let it go out on a high note with something that is going to be hilarious for a very long time to come.

I don't think there'll be a themed year again anytime soon unless they've somehow coordinated multiple games that include, feature or star a singular character, but we're not going to get a year of Link-themed games, Samus-themed games, etc. And they don't really have anyone else that could sustain so many titles. Kirby is maybe the only other one and he already had an anniversary recently.